$1.1bn Malabu Oil fraud: FG files charges against Adoke, Etete, Shell, others

A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke has been charged to court over alleged $1.1 billion fraud in the Malabu oil deal.

Adoke and six others charged with him are facing a 42-count charge.

Others charged with him are Rasky Gbinigie, A. Abubakar, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Ultra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Ltd.

The Federal Government, in a document with charge number CR/151/2020 dated Jan. 14 and filed on Jan. 15, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, accused Adoke and others of receiving gratification to allegedly carry out a fraudulent oil deal.

As Attorney-General, Adoke was alleged to have mediated controversial agreements that ceded OPL 245 to Shell and Eni who in turn paid about $1.1 billion dollars to accounts controlled by a former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete.

Etete, now at large, was the Petroleum Minister in the military regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.

Persecondnews reports that Adoke, since he left the country after the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was brought back into the country on Dec. 19, 2019 from Dubai, United Arab Emirates by Interpol.

He was immediately arrested by the EFCC on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

He is being charged by the anti-graft agency on alleged abuse of office and money laundering in respect of the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI.

According to the charge, the former AGF in August 2013 in Abuja while serving as a minister knowingly received United State Dollars equivalent of N300 million which is reasonably suspected of having been unlawfully obtained.

The offences contravene Section 319A of the Penal Code, and other relevant sections, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

The suit, signed by Bala Sanga on behalf of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, further said that one of the accused persons, Rasky Gbinigie conspired with Munamuna Seidougha (at large), Amaran Joseph (at large) and Dauzia Loya Etete (at large), sometime in 2013, in Abuja, dishonestly used as genuine the forged form CAC 7 and Board Resolution of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and the letter of resignation of one Mohammed Sani to open a Bank Account No. 2018288005 with First Bank of Nigeria Plc to receive the sum of $401. 5 million.

On count seven, Adoke was said to have in September 2013 knowingly and unlawfully obtained the sum of US dollars equivalent to N367,318,800.

Gbinigie, the company secretary of Malabu oil was said to have made false resignation letter signed by one Alhaji Hassan Hindu as having resigned from the Board of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited with intent to commit fraud.